Baseball glove



June 22 1926.

H. DENKERT BASEBALL GLOVE 2 Shasta-Sheet l INVENTOR MAW Filed May 23, 1925 June 22 1926. 1,589,516

, H. DENKERT BASEBALL GLOVE Filed May 23, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 b INVENTOR a? ATTORNEY Patented June 22, 1926 HENRY DENKER'I, OE JOHNSTOWN, NEW YORK.

BASEBALL GLOVE.

Application filed May 23, 1925. Serial No. 32,247.

My invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of the same, selected by me for purposes of illustration, and the said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

The object of my invention is to form a very strong and durable glove, especially adapted for use as a baseball glove, in which the backs of the fingers are formed from a single piece of leather (or other suitable material), cut from a blank in such form that. the finger back sections thereof comprise two pairs, the, sections of each pair extending in opposite directions to each other, and the longitudinal axis of one pair being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the other pair, the lower edges of the finger sections forming a continuous, unbroken line, without indentations, so that the finger back section, when placed in proper relation with the front linger sections of the glove, the lower edges of the finger back sections will form a substantially straight line extending across the back from one side of the glove tothe other along the bases of all four fingers. I also provide an auxiliary back portion to which the finger back section is united by stitching, and which is so shaped that when placed in proper position to unite the finger back sections, a transverse seam will be formed which extends in a substantially straight line above the line of the knuckles, across the glove from one side to the other. By this means-I avoid all indentations in the blank for the finger back sections, which are a material source of weakness, as any glove material, and particularly leather, when subjected to lateral stress across such an indentation, tends to tear at the point inwardly. I also do away with all scams between the fingers, and further by having the lower edges of the fingers in a straight line, when the finger back section is brought into position for stitching to the front finger sections, a considerable fullness is produced adjacent to the space between the faces of the fingers, which relieves the glove from strain when in use, and makes it very durable under the severe handling which gloves, and particularly baseball gloves, are subjected to. My invention also includes 1 certain details of construction which will be hereinafter more particularly described and pointed out in the claims;

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of my invention, selected by me for purposes of illustration,

Flg. 1 represents a back view of my improved baseball glove.

Fig. 2 is a face or palm view of the glove.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the palm member as it is cut out before being united in the glove. I

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the finger back member.

Fig. 5 is a detail View of the-auxiliary back member. s i

As clearly shown in the accompanying drawing, 1, represents the palm member of the glove, which is provided with the front finger portions, 2, 3, s'and 5, cut as one integral piece of leather or other suitable material. In this specification, when I have used the word integral I mean by that literally that the parts referred to as integral are cut from a single piece of leather or other material, as distinguished from a construction in which the parts are formed of several pieces and subsequently united.- 6. is the thumb member united to the other parts of the glove by the seam, 7. 8 is the finger back member provided with the back finger portions, 2 3, 4 and 5*, formed integral by being cut from a single piece of leather or other suitable piece of mate rial as shown in Fig. 4, which represents the blank forming the finger back member, the finger portions being in two pairs, the finger portions of each pair extending in opposite directions, and each pair having their axes disposed substantially perpendicularly to the axes ofrthe other pair. Thus, the finger. portions, '2 and 4, are opposite to each other and extendin opposite directions, while the finger portions, 3* and 5 extend in opposite directions to each other and have their axes substantially perpendicular to the axes of the finger portions, 2 and P. The finger portion, 2, is provided with a longitudinal edge, 8, which is to be united to the front member, or palm member of the. glove at one side of the, same, and the fingerportion, 5 is provided with a similar longitudinal edge, 8, which is to be joined to the palm member of the glove at the other edge of the same. The blank for the finger back mem ber is provided with an internal recess, the edge of which forms the lower edge of the various finger portions, and the lower edges of the finger portions form a single continuous, smooth, unbroken edge, indicated at 8, in Fig. 4, extending from the inner end of the edge, 8", around to the inner end of the edge, 8, without any break or indentation, so that the strain brought to bear along the lower edges of the fingers, adjacent to the knuckles, transversely of the glove, will have no tendency to tear the material at any point. 9 is an auxiliary back member located between the main back member, 8, and the aperture, indicated at 10, usually formed in the back of the glove for ventilation. Fig. 5 shows the blank for the auxiliary back member, which is provided with an upper edge, 9, extending in a smoothly curved, unbroken line, from the edge, 9, which is stitched to the front or palm member of the glove, adjacent to the little finger, or finger section, 5, to the edge, 9, which is stitched to the palm mem ber. The blank, 9, for the auxiliary back member, is also provided with a curved edge portion, 9 defining the aperture, 10, in the back of the glove. It will be understood that the upper edge, 9 of the auxiliary back member, 9,'is equal in length to the edge, 8, of the finger back blank to which it is united in-the manufacture of the glove. 11, represents a wrist portion adapted to extend over the'back of the wrist in the usual manner, and which is preferably made separate fromthe other members of the glove, although it may be made integral with the palm section, if desired. In uniting the several members of the glove, the front and rear finger por tions are united at the side of each finger by seams, indicated at 2 8 4 and 5 the side seams of adjacent fingers meeting at the crotches, indicated at 12, 13 and 14, respectively. It will beseen that when the finger back blank, 8, is uni-ted to the blank for the palm member, 1, the lateral edge of the finger back blank will be united to thelongitudinal edge, 1 of the palm member, and the edge, 8*, of the finger back member will be united to the edge, 1 of the palm member, when thefinger back member is brought into position so that it can be united to the palm member, the finger portions, 2 8 l and 5 will be in line with each other, and as they are connected together, being formed from a single piece of material, the continuous lower edge, 8 of the finger back member forming the lower edges of all the fingers, will be straightened out intoasubstantially straight line, extending transversely across the glove, as indicated in Fig. 1, and a considerable fullness will be provided between the bases of the several fingers by so bending the finger back member, which fullness willtcnd to relieve the'strain on the glove at the intersections of the fingers, or in other words,at.the crotches, between the fingers, where gloves are subjected to the greatest strain. The main and auxiliary back members, 8 and 9, are united by a heavy welted seam, indicated at 15, formed by uniting the edge, 8, of the 'back member with the edge, 9 of the auxiliary back member, as indicated in Fig. v1, and form ing a substantially straight seam-extending transversely across the entire glove from one side to the other, the lateral edges,

9 and 9 of the auxiliary'back member Q, being united to lateral portions, 1 and 1 of the palm member, 1, the seam, 1, forming a continuation of the seam, 5 and the seam, 1 forminga continuation-ofthe.

seam, 2 The thumb, 6, is stitched uto=the palm portion by the formation'of theseam,

7, and the thumb andfirst'fin-ger are pref.- erably conneetedby a flap 16,-sewed into the adjacent seams of the thumb and first finger. The wrist portion, 11, is preferably united to the palm extension, 1*, by a short seam, indicated at 1 below the opening, 10, in theback, and the free end of the Wrist portion, 11, is provided with means for attaching it tothe opposite one tension, 1, of the palm member in any def sired or usual manner. In'the present-instance I have shown these parts connected by a button, 17 and button holes, inclicated at 17 17 in Fig. 1. It will be seen that the main back member adjacent to the back finger portions is formed in one piece with said finger portionsso that there are no longitudinal seams in the back extending to the lateral finger seams, 2 38 1- and 5", at the crotch portions thereof. The formation of the main back member, as illustrated in detail in Fig. +1, provides, when the parts of the glove are united,-a certain amount of fullness at the points indicated at 12 13 and 14 immediately in rear and adjacent to eachof the orotches, 12, 13 and 14, which tends to-relieve the finger-seams of strain and assistsin preventing tearing-and splitting on these seams adjacent to the crotch portions thereof where the strain on the glove of thistype is the greatest. Obviously the elimination of seams, which naturally tend to weaken the leather, since every stitch represents-a hole in the leather, an d'the'forming of the main back member with the 1 back finger portions of one solid piece of leather, great 1y increases the strength anddurabili'ty of.

the glove.

The formation of the back finger meme her in the manner previously described, so that when brought intoproper position, it

brings the lower edgesof the" finger portions into a substantially straight line extending transversely across the glove, and the formation of the upper edge of the auxiliary back portion, so that it may be united to the lower edges of the finger portions to form the seam, 15, extending in a substantially straight line transversely across the glove, produces a construction affording great strength and durability. All transverse strain on the glove will be exerted in a direction longitudinally of the seam, 15, at which point the glove is practically reinforced by the same, and consequently is in the best possible condition to resist and withstand such transverse strain, and this construction, coupled with the provision of a great amount of fullness at the bases of the fingers, effectually relieves the seam, which connects the front and back finger portions, from strain and produces a glove of great strength and durability.

\Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a glove, the combination with a palm member provided With front finger portions, of a finger back member formed from a single piece of material containing four integral finger back portions, said finger back member having its inner marginal edge formed on substantially the arc of a circle and in a smooth unbroken line so that when the finger back portions are united to the front finger portions the inner edges of the finger back portions will be in a substantially straight line extending transversely across the entire back of the glove from one edge to the other.

2. In a love, the combination with a palm member provided with front finger portions, of a finger back member formed from a single piece of material containing four integral finger back portions, said finger back member. having its inner marginal edge formed on substantially the arc of a circle and in a smooth unbroken line so that when the finger back portions are united to the front finger vportions the inner edges of the finger back portions will be in a substantially straight line extending transversely across the entire back of the glove from one edge to the other, and an auxiliary back member united to the palm member at each side of the glove and having its upper edge united to the inner edge of the finger back member by a seam-extending in a substantially straight line entirely across the glove from one side to the other.

3. A blank for the finger back section of a glove, comprising a single piece of material, cut to provide four finger portions arranged in pairs, the finger portions of each pair extending in opposite directions and the longitudinal axes of one pair being disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the other pair, said blank having a central recess the edge of which extends in a smooth, unbroken line from the inner end of the outer edge of one finger portion to the inner end of the outer edge of the finger portion at the other end of the blank, said edge of the recess being free from indentations.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HENRY DENKERT. 

